Note: Nikosthenes was the operator of one of the largest potteries of 6th century BCE Athens. Over 150 vases have been discovered with his signature (Nikosthenes Epoiesen- "Nikosthenes made it") as the potter or the manufacturer. He signed vases that clearly were made by different artists, indicating that he was probably the owner of the workshop; his signature thus served as a kind of brand name or trademark for the shop. Nikosthenes employed painters of varying abilities, including Oltos, Lydos, and the Nikosthenes Painter. Proficient in both black-figure and red-figure techniques, his workshop bridged the transition between the two styles in Athens. Nikosthenes was a clever businessman and an inventive potter. His workshop was one of the first to use the red-figure technique, and he developed other variant styles, such as black-figure on white-ground and Six's technique, designed to compete with this new red-figure. He produced a wide range of vessels, but his shop is most famous for vases such as kyathoi and Nikosthenic amphorai, designed specifically for export to Etruria. Pamphaios eventually took over Nikosthenes' workshop.